\n Representatives from Israel and Arab countries exchanged sharp accusations Thursday at the UN General Assembly, as the body discussed the Israel-Hamas war following the Security Council's failure to take action.\n<\/p>\n
\n The matter has exposed deep divisions in the Security Council, with a total of four resolutions gaining insufficient traction or being blocked by a veto in less than two weeks.\n<\/p>\n
\n Arab countries are hoping that the General Assembly, which has a different power balance and where no country holds a veto, will be able to act, even if any resolution would be nonbinding.\n<\/p>\n
\n But the back-and-forth Thursday remained in attack mode, with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who spoke on behalf of 22 Arab countries, accusing Israel of \"making Gaza a perpetual hell on Earth.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n \"The trauma will haunt generations to come,\" he said, adding that \"the right to self defense is not a license to kill with impunity. Collective punishment is not self defense, it is a war crime.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n Israel's relentless bombardment was launched on October 7 in retaliation for the Hamas attack which Israeli officials say killed 1,400 people. More than 200 others were kidnapped.\n<\/p>\n
\n The strikes, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, have killed more than 7,000 people -- a toll expected to rise substantially if Israeli troops massed near the border move into the Palestinian territory.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"To stop this madness, you have a chance to do something, to give an important signal. Choose justice, not vengeance,\" said Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour.\n<\/p>\n
\n Jordan has circulated a draft resolution that is still under discussion, which is meant to be put to vote on Friday.\n<\/p>\n
\n The text focuses largely on the humanitarian situation, calling for an \"immediate ceasefire\" and \"unhindered humanitarian access\" to the Gaza Strip.\n<\/p>\n
\n It also calls on all parties to comply with the \"protection of civilians,\" but makes no mention of the Hamas attack.\n<\/p>\n
\n Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan blasted the text.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"The drafters of the resolution claim to be concerned about peace,\" he said. \"Yet the depraved murderers who initiated this war are not even mentioned in the resolution.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n \"The only place this resolution belongs is in the dustbin of history,\" he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Representatives from Israel and Arab countries exchanged sharp accusations Thursday at the UN General Assembly, as the body discussed the Israel-Hamas war following the Security Council's failure to take action. The matter has exposed deep divisions in the Security Council, with a total of four resolutions gaining insufficient traction or being blocked by a veto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-123831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n